Under Armor
by Cy.ra.no.Lee
Summary: On a short mission in the Sand, Naruto finds personal conflict.


Saw a lot of ficlets and wanted to try out writing one. Character building.

* * *

It kept Naruto awake at night. It haunted him- the color, the size, what it was supposed to mean.

He was sure he Gaara hadn't even meant him or anyone else to see. He was a serious guy, so Naruto had always associated him with serious attire. It had appeared before him from a gale during a short but thunderous sandstorm. Immediately after Naruto himself had seen, he had wildly flailed about, searching for anyone else who had seen the sultry sight.

Of course, no one had seen a thing, and Naruto was left looking foolish that day.

He had thought about bringing it up to Kakashi, but he was unwilling to receive that dead, daunting look and the patronizing laughter. He also hadn't told anyone how Gaara was making him feel as of late. He had no intention of doing as much yet either, because they were from different nations. As indelicate as he was, he didn't want to ruin his chances of even a kiss from the red head because of his loyalty to his own village.

Which was why he ended up tossing and turning two evenings before they were set to leave. He and Gaara were close, but _how _was he supposed to bring _that _up? Especially when he wasn't ready for Gaara to know how he felt yet? The answer eluded him through the night and the next day.

Someone must have noticed how fatigued he seemed that day, because after subjugating only a few desert animals, Team Seven was dismissed from their duties until later on in the evening. Naruto thought about going to take a nap until then, but his mind flashed with oranges and yellows. He grit his teeth and willed himself to calm down.

It was the middle of the day, everything was veritably blazing, and he didn't have the emotional fortitude at the moment to deal with his wayward body. He decided to do what he did best and address the problem head on.

They had finished doing their last rounds and dropping off the creature bodies at a facility that would make good use of them. Naruto listened to his good friend debrief them on Suna's animal handling policies. They had stopped in a place in the facility that was nice and cool, and was a good enough distance away from animal parts that Naruto didn't feel like retching.

Kakashi dismissed them on Gaara's okay, but neither Team Seven or Gaara and his guard seemed to want to leave first. Naruto moved to stand in front of the Kazekage. He didn't want what he thought he might say to be heard by everyone, _especially _not Sakura and Sasuke. He had no doubt they had secretly started a relationship and were teasing him relentlessly behind his back.

"Er... So Gaara," Naruto started.

"It's Kazekage-sama to_ you_ Naruto," Sakura insisted. Gaara leveled her with an even stare. She didn't balk like she used to, but she did look away.

"It's alright," he said firmly, then to Naruto, "We are... friends."

Naruto grinned cheekily at being the exception. A thrill went up his spine and his heart dropped at the same time, "Yeah! So friend to friend..."

He leaned down over Gaara, smelling the scent of desert water and cactus aloe. He resisted the urge to shiver in delight and asked in as quiet a voice as he could, "I was urh... Curious about the er... fashion in Suna. I mean, all you guys wear long sleeves and stuff."

Gaara looked conflicted. To anyone other than Naruto, his demeanor didn't change. It had taken the young blond years of pestering the youngest Kage of five nations to understand even his slightest gesticulations. He bit the inner side of his mouth, his lips pursing for only one second.

"If you want to know about the fashion, you should ask Temari. As for the reason..."

"No no no," Naruto almost shouted, making himself flinch, "I mean, your sister's great and all, but I want to hear about it from you. I mean, I like your style."

He lightly tugged on the edge of Gaara's flak jacket reflexively. The redhead watched his hand where it settled back at his side. He kept his eyes low for a few long seconds and let his dark lashes cut up the sharp color of his eyes. Naruto liked to think he was blushing when he did that.

"If you're okay with me..."

"Of course I am," Naruto said gently, smiling at Gaara in a way he hoped wasn't too dopey, then raising his voice, "So urh, since we haven't had lunch yet, we can talk about it while eating or something?"

"... Okay," Gaara nodded in agreement, carefully watching Naruto shift from foot to foot.

"You heard him guys, I'm going with Kazekage-sama to learn Kage stuff so I'll see you at the inn later bye," Naruto rambled, saluting to his team members quickly. If he minded Naruto's lies, the leader of Suna didn't say anything about it. He grabbed Gaara by the hand to run off.

Gaara was led for a few feet, then did Naruto one better by warping them away to one of his favorite shops. He didn't seem to mind Naruto's firm grip on his wrist. He didn't press his luck, and let go when they entered the restaurant. There wasn't much hullabaloo about their seating or or ordering. They both got similar things each time. For Gaara it was calamari, and for Naruto it was pork cutlet.

"It's for sweat," said Gaara. Naruto choked on his glass of water momentarily.

"Uhm what," he said, covering his face with a napkin, thinking of Gaara's thighs covered in a glittering layer of water. He gave another hard cough.

"Wearing a thick layer of clothes allows your sweat to collect in them, making it easier to remain cool,"Gaara said informatively, "I hope that answered your question."

"Wait, so that means you're all sweaty under that thing," Naruto asked, not meaning to imagine Gaara naked, face and neck covered in sweat as he gasped for his life. He swallowed again.

Gaara's fringe swayed a bit, letting Naruto know he was tilting his head in contemplation, "Well, no... I don't sweat much because of my sand skin. My chakra provides a sort of... temperature regulation."

"Oh," Naruto said, distracted momentarily by chakra talk. Since he had learned a jutsu or two of his own, he realized he was far more interested in chakra crafting theory.

"Can you feel yourself doing that," asked Naruto, "maintaining the skin? Or does it feel the same as chakra circulation?"

Gaara's brows go down just a fraction, and a microscopic crease appears between them. He replies, "I don't know... I cannot describe it, because I have been doing it all my life."

"Oh," Naruto replied in disappointment as the waiter set down their food. Gaara watched him snap his chopsticks and then added in a quiet tone, "I can... show it to you..?"

"Really," asked Naruto, not being able to hide his excitement, "I mean, you don't have to. I know ninjutsu can be a really important trade."

"We're friends," Gaara said resolutely, "And... I do not think you'll be able to control the sand, even if I teach this to you."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "That is true. So, how will you show it to me?"

Gaara took a quick glance across the restaurant and put his hand down on the table. His palm was facing up.

"If you're okay with me," he said, twitching his fingers. Naruto swallowed a wad of rice. Perhaps his heart was overreacting, but it was not like he could stop it. And he rarely ever stopped himself from doing as he liked or what he felt.

"Of course I am," he said, sliding his fingers over Gaara's palm. He was cool to the touch, and Naruto could barely detect the grainy feeling that was the Kazekage's sand skin. Naruto pretended he could feel Gaara's heartbeat through it. It sounded the same as his own.

Gaara closed his fingers around his hand. Naruto focused on the movement. If he looked Gaara in the eye, he was sure he'd go red. A cool feeling began to slip across Naruto's skin, like he was slowly dunking his hand into cold water. Then, it bubbled and sunk into him. It felt like the hand creme he had stolen from Jiraiya's pack and tried out. It had a slimy feeling at first, then his skin felt nice. Smooth and delicate, like the petals of a flower.

"Oh," he gasped as it traveled up his arm. It felt... _really _nice. Gaara slipped his hand away.

"Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Naruto said happily, still not looking the man in the eyes, "It's kind of like Henge! But it's more refined. Mm... When I do the transformation, it's kind of like laying a wet blanket of silk over top of my skin. Maybe if I get the hang of that feeling, I can use my wind style to make finer transformations."

Gaara listened to his theory crafting diligently while munching on his fried food, "Explain."

"Well since Henge is sort of a visual illusion that uses my wind style to bend light a certain way. But it's a very thick layer of wind that's sort of hard to maintain in different shapes. Since yours is so delicate, maybe I can change my eye color or hair color or something for when we go on espionage missions!"

Gaara nodded and murmured, "I like how you are now."

Naruto looked at his lunch partner across the table. He was watching Naruto carefully, the way he did when he was not sure how other humans would react to his thoughts. Naruto couldn't help himself going red. Gaara smiled a tiny thing into his water glass. He must have been pleased by the reaction.

"Er well... I'll always go back to how I was... I mean, it's only for missions and stuff."

"Hm," Gaara said. They ate in silence for a long while. Naruto only began to talk again when he thought Gaara had enough time with his own thoughts.

They passed the time in the restaurant much like they did every time they saw each other. Gaara let Naruto theory craft, talk shit about his teammates, and update him about Konoha's residents. He added in his own concepts or thoughts occasionally, but for the most part he seemed content to listen.

Naruto liked to think that he was the one Gaara spoke to most often. Likewise, Naruto told Gaara things he just couldn't tell anyone else about. Sasuke was his best friend, but he was still the object of almost everyone's affections. He still had a family, and he had never been unable to control his power like Naruto or Gaara.

The feeling of closeness Naruto to his fellow jinchuuriki made him wish he was like Lee and could just outburst in cries of adoration for the other young man. Instead, he was left pining away as they wandered the streets, pretending like they were on a date.

"What kind of garment are you looking for," asked Gaara as they window shopped. Naruto felt his guilt about his lie build up. Once again, he stepped close to the redhead to speak to him. It delighted him that the villagers seemed to flinch at the sight of them being close.

"Well... it's not that I was looking for a garment... I wanted to talk to you about something I saw..."

"Did you see it around here? Was it something you liked," asked Gaara. Naruto flushed.

"Well, liking it is one thing... Do you think we can find a quiet place to talk? _Without _your guards?"

Gaara blinked at him in surprise. Naruto knew he had been careful up until then so he wondered how seriously Gaara was taking him. The young ruler nodded and began walking in the direction of his compound. It was a long and silent walk, during which Naruto wondered whether he had secured his own doom.

They walked slowly, giving Naruto enough time to panic until they finally paused at the front door of his place.

"You are dismissed," Gaara said to seemingly no one, "I will be sure to change the rotation of guard when I return to my office."

A group of four appeared out of nowhere in front of them, making Naruto jump instinctively. They all bowed their heads from their kneeling positions and then disappeared as Gaara opened the door to his home.

Naruto entered like he is familiar with the place (because he is) and removed his shoes.

"Tea? Water?"

"No thanks," Naruto said carefully, not wanting to be distracted. He sat on the couch in Gaara's barely use sitting room and twiddled his fingers.

"So uhm... yesterday, during the sandstorm, I saw something. I mean, I didn't mean to look, but I just was checking my surroundings and sometimes you look different during that kind of thing... sort of glowy, I guess, and its distracting-..."

"Naruto," Gaara stopped him, "Did you see something important? Did someone make a threat on your life?"

"No," Naruto swallowed, "It's not- Gaara... what kind of underwear do you wear?"

Gaara paused for such a long moment that even Naruto could feel him tensing up and blushing. He implored himself not to look away from his friend. Even subtle gestures threw Gaara off. He couldn't, however, stop his face from turning bright red.

"Come with me," Gaara said suddenly, leading him upstairs and further down into the house. Naruto followed obediently, stomach starting to churn from how hard his heart was pounding. Gaara let himself into his bedroom and closed the door after Naruto entered as well.

He walks to a small chest of drawers close to his window, puts his hands on the top drawer, then stops. He stands there for a long moment, and Naruto just watches him have his mental conflict. Naruto has almost worked up the courage to tell Gaara to forget it when the Kazekage turns to face him.

He stares at Naruto, his mind obviously still working. Then he puts his hands on his robes, and like sand spiders, his fingers work down the textured cloth. He tugs it up until the hem is balled in his fists where they rest above his waist.

There, in all his glory, Gaara stands wearing black and white striped panties.

Not tight briefs, not oddly shaped boxers, but _panties._ They curve around his upper hips and thighs intricately, hemmed with a delicate black lace that Naruto finds absolutely mouth watering. He moves closer without thinking. He notices Gaara's cock, flaccid as can be, stretched out against his hip.

He clenches his butt.

"G-Gaara... you know-..."

"I saw a woman wearing them in my brother's art magazine. I didn't know people wore such things, so I wanted to try it."

"And what do you think," asks Naruto in delusion, moving to stand closer to Gaara. He doesn't explain that only women wore panties because he doesn't want to shame the Kazekage. Besides which, Naruto **will** _die _if he thought he were the reason Gaara stopped wearing panties. The red head seems to relax, even though Naruto is growing ever closer.

"They feel more comfortable than the pants. They're soft... and they look nice," Gaara admits slowly. Naruto is definitely too deep into Gaara's personal space. He glances down at where the Kazekage's bulge peeks out from beneath the bunched fabric.

"I think they look nice too," said Naruto, hoping his voice doesn't sound _too _predatory. When he looks back into his friends face, he is looking up at Naruto. Again, he is watching and waiting on his response. Naruto is telling himself that he has to do things the right way. He could ruin everything by pressing into Gaara right now. He comforts himself by taking one of the Kazekage's wrists. He reaches out gently, sliding his fingers around Gaara in a hold that is easy for him to break out of.

"Gaara," he said in a low voice, pressing his fingers firmly into the other man's wrists, "how do you think I feel about you?"

"We're friends," says Gaara in a way that sounds much more like a question than a response. His pupils are blown, and he's leaning his head back even though he and Naruto are about the same height.

"Yes," Naruto tries to be patient and think of the language he should be using, "And I would like to stay friends ... but have you ever thought about more?"

"More? As in... Treating you the way that Temari treats Shikamaru Nara?"

Naruto pauses, "You knew about them?"

"They do not exactly make themselves discreet."

Naruto couldn't argue with that, "Well, not exactly like them. But well... I... I think about you. All the time. About being with you. And I know you're the Kazekage and I want to become Hokage someday... Everything will be different and hard... but I-..."

"But you will be by my side," Gaara asks, finally showing his shy side. He tilts his head just a bit, and watches Naruto's mouth while he speaks. Naruto grins.

* * *

I wrote a naughty sequel. I'm debating posting it.


End file.
